Slide fastener application for garments



Dec., 17, 1940. H, wlPPr-:RMAN 2,225,514

SLIDE FASTENER APPLICATION FOR GARMENTS Filed Aug. ll, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BLYM am ATTO R N EYS Dec, 17, 1940. H'. WlpPERMAN 2,225,514

SLIDE FASTENER APPLICATION FOR GARMENTS Filed Allg. ll, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'lill/111111111111111',11111111111nl SL07@ mv ATTO R N EYS Patented Dec. 17, 1940 Y '2,225,514

-UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE SLIDE FASTENER APPLICATION FOR.

' GARMENTS Hildegard Wipperman, Chicago, Ill., assigner to The H. W. Gossard Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 11, 1939, Serial No. 289,566

7 Claims. (Cl. 2-38) This invention relates to garments such as Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the final step corsets, girdles, combination garments and the in the attachment of the fastener and protecting like employing `slide fasteners, and has for its shield as viewed from the inner face of the object to provide an improved method of applygarment;

ing such fasteners and improved means for in- Fig. 7 shows the fastener completely attached. 5 suring their efiicient operatiomthroughout the as viewed from the outer face of the garment; life of the garment. Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken online The invention is especially applicable to foun- 8-8 of Fig. 2; dation garments, etc., having slide fastener tapes Fig. 9 is a similar section taken on line 9-9 1o or stringers which remain permanently conof Fig. 4; l nected at their inner or lower extremity, as dis- Fig. 10 is a similar section taken on line IU-III tnguished from those which may be completely of Fig. 5; and separated when the fastener is open. It may be Fig. 11l is a transverse section through `the embodied, for example, in a girdle having' an completely attached fastener taken on line Il-II 15 opening extending only part way down the front of Fig. 6.

or side so that the garment must be pulled on The foundation garment shown in Fig. 1 for over the hips. In such case, the strain induced purposes of illustration comprises a girdle havby pullingthe garment on or off is frequently ing a body portion I of elastic fabric and a front sufiicient to tear or rip the fabric, split the faspanel 2 of inelastic material. A slide fastener 3 tener or pull the slider olf over the fastener eleis arranged in the body portion I and extends 20 ments, or even spread the slider in such a Way downwardly from the upper edge of the garment as to render the article useless. to a point below the hip line. The garment is This difliculty, which in the corset industry is generally of standard construction and only so responsible for the return of thousands of dammuch thereof has been shown and described aS aged garments every year, has resulted in nuis necessary to an understanding of this inven- 25 merous attempts to strengthen the permanently tion. connected ends of the closure against which the As illustrated in Fig'. 2, the body portion of slider abuts when the fastener is open, but herethe garment has a slit or opening 4 to the adjatofore these attempts have been far from succent edges 5 and- 6 of lwhich the slide fastener cessful, usually resulting in a bulky, unsightly or is to be attached. y Y so 4expensive construction. My invention provides The siide fastener is of the usual constructionl an improved method of applying these fasteners comprising a pair of stringers 1 and 8 containto garments which avoids the disadvantages of ing cooperating rows of interlocking fastener the DI'OI art. f members 9 and I0 operated by a slider I2. The

'35 The various features and advantages of my stringers contain the usual upper stop members invention will be described in connection with the I3 and I4 which limit the upward movement of accompanying drawings, in which: the slider I2 when the fastener is closed, and a Fig. 1 is a front view of a girdle having a slide bottom stop I5 which connects the stringers perfastener applied thereto in accordance with my manently at their lower ends and acts as a stop o o inventin; f for the slider I2 when the fastener is opened.

Fig. 2 is a.v fragmentary view of the inner face The first step in attaching the slide fastener of the garment, showing the first step in the atto the garment is illustrated in Fig. 2 which tachment of the slide fastener thereto; shows the inner face of they garment. A reint, Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the lower porforcing tape I6 has one end stitched at I1 to the tion of the fabric of Fig. 2 folded over, and furfastener Stringer 1 so that the tape spans the ther illustrates the first step in the attachment two stringers- -1 and 8 transversely at about the of the slide fastener to the garment; lower end of the opening. The lower extremity Fig. 4 is a view of the inner face of the garof the'edge 5 of the garment is then folded over,

ment, as in Fig. 2, which shows the second step as at 5a, Fig. 8, and the vfastener Stringer 1 and 50 in the attachment of the fastener; reinforcing tape I6 are stitched to this lower Fig. 5 is a view taken .from the same position folded portion of the edge 5v` by a zigzag stitch as Figs. 2 and 4, showing the third step in the I8. The zigzag stitch I8 A passes through the attachment of the fastener .and its associated folded edge 5athe Stringer 1 and the reinforcing 5 protecting shield; tape I6 as close as practical tothe adjacent fasf 55 up the strain,

tener members 9. A zigzag stitch, because of its strength, is particularly suited for this purpose. In the embodiment shown the stitch extends upwardly over the folded edge a and then 5 Aoutwardly to the edge of the Stringer. In this way it may be applied in a single continuous pass of the fabric through the sewing machine.

The fastener Stringer 1 and the reinforcing' tape I6 are then both attached to the edge 5 of the garment by a row of stitches 22. A fastener tape 2U which in this instance contains a plurality of spaced hooks 2|, is superimposed upon the fastener Stringer 1, and this tape 20 and stringer 1 are sewn to the edge 5 of the fabric by rows of stitches 23 and 24. The fastener stringer 8 is likewise sewn to the edge 6 of the fabric by parallel rows of stitches 26 and 21 (Figs. 4 and 9).

Figs. 5 and 10 show the attachment of the protecting shield 29, one face of 'which contains a plurality of eyes 30, and the other face of which provides a soft plush or fabric nish 3|. The eyes 30 may, for example, be attached to a tape 30a which may. be stitched to the shield 29 by stitches` 30h. This shield 29 is superimposed upon the fastener in the proper position so that the eyes 30 will mate with the hooks 2I, and the shieldl 29 is then sewn to the vfree end of the reinforcing tape I6 with a zigzag stitch 32.

Figs. 6 and 11 show the final step wherein the shield 29 is sewn to the edge 6 of the garment by vertical stitches 33, and has its lower end sewn to the fabric beneath the slider fastener and bey neath the reinforcing tape I6 by stitches 34. Fig. -1 6 shows the completed inner face of the garment,

While Fig. 7 shows the outer face of the nished garment. It will be noted that the slide fastener is completely covered by the shield 29. 'I'he shield is soft and flexible and protects the flesh of the 40 wearer. Only a minimum number of stitches are visible, the zigzagv stitches I8 and 32 being entirely concealed. The stringers, hook and eye tape and reinforcing tape are located on the inside where they are concealed from view. 'Ihe reinforcing tape is secured at both ends by strong zigzag stitches although such stitches are not visible on the face of the garment. vThe reinforcing tape I6, joining the two sides of the garment at the lower end of the slit 4 takes up the 50 entire strain on the fabric and on the slide fastener when the garment is pulled on or olf and prevents the fabric from tearing out and the fastener from bending or becoming distorted or being otherwise damaged. Furthermore this is ac- 55 complished without the use of unsightly stitches visible on the front of the garment. 'I'he reinforcing tape I6 is so positioned that it cannot catch on the slider or otherwise interfere with the y operation thereof.

@o Heretofore attempts have been made to introduce various kinds of reinforcing stitches for the above purpose. Such attempts,I however, have not been satisfactory because the reinforcing means were either not sufficiently strong to take or when made strong the reinforcing means were bulky and unsightly. It will be noted'that inaccordance'with the presentinvention the shields may be made of comparatively thin soft material because their main function 70 is to prevent the metal fasteners from coming in contact with the flesh of the wearer. A particular advantage of this feature is that it makes it possible to avoid the use of a stiff heavy shield with sharp corners. My improvedconstruction also avoids heavy stitching on the outside of the 'slide fastener stringers to the edges of a slidey fastener stringers to the lower part of garment which would detract from its appearance, and it likewise avoids all heavy stitching through the body of the cloth which might tear out when under tension.

Ihe particular method of assembly referred to above is well adapted to commercial production and results in an improved fastener application. Furthermore, by attaching the fastener stringers to the garment prior to the application of the fastener tape 20, the number of rows of stitches that extend through the garment and are visible on the face thereof is reduced to a minimum. It is to be understood, of course, that the fastener tapes 20 may carry buttons or snap fastener elements or the like, in which event the cooperating elements are attached to the shield 29. A particular embodiment has been shown only for purposes of illustration. Various changes and modi-` cations may be made in the construction of the garment as will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

The invention claimed is:

1. Method of attaching a pair of coop dating fabric opening which is to be permanently closed at one end, which comprises stitching a reinforcing tape to one of said stringers with its free end extending transversely across said stringers adjacent the closed end thereof, stitching said first Stringer with said reinforcing tape to one of said edges, stitching the other of said stringers to the other of said edges, stitching a shield to the free end of said tape and stitching said shield, tape and Stringer to said other edge to provide a structure wherein the stitches which secure the first Stringer and the shield to said tape are not visible on the outer face of the fabric and in which the shield is free from the tape on the side of said rst Stringer.

2. Method of attaching a pair of cooperating slide fastener stringers to the edges of a fabric opening which is to be permanently closed at one end, which comprises stitching a reinforcing tape to one of said stringers with the free end of said tape extending transversely across said stringers adjacent the closed end thereof, folding over one of said edges to form a two ply edge hem, stitching said reinforcing tape and said rst Stringer to the lower part of said hem by a zigzag stitch extending longitudinally and thence across said hem in a continuous unbroken line, stitching both of said stringers to said edges by longitudinal rows of stitches, stitching a shield to the free end of said reinforcing tape and stitching said shield,r reinforcing tape and stringer to the other of said edges by additional longitudinal rows of stitches extending through the various layers to provide a structure wherein the stitches which secure the rst Stringer and the shield to said tape are not visible on the outer face of ,the fabric and in which the shield is free from the tape on the side of said first Stringer.

3. Method of attaching a pair of cooperating to theedges of a fabric opening which is to be permanently closed at one end, which comprises stitching a reinforcing tape to one of said stringers with the free end of said tape extending transversely across said stringers vadjacent the closed end thereof, folding over one of said edges to form ing said reinforcing a two ply edge hem, stitchtape 'and said ilrst Stringer said hem by a zigzag stitch extending longitudinally and thence across said hem in a continuous unbroken line, stitching both of said stringers to said. edges by longitudinal rows of stitches. stitching a fastener tape over said first stringer, stitching to the free end of said reinforcing tape a shield having fastener elements thereon cooperating with said fastener tape and stitching said shield, reinforcing tape and Stringer to the other of said edges by additional longitudinal rows of stitches extending through the various layers to provide a structure wherein the stitches which secure the rst Stringer and the shield to said tape are not visible on the outer face ofthe fabric and in which the shield is free from the tape on the side of said first stringer.

4. A fabric having an opening closed by a pair of slide fastener stringers closed at one end and stitched to said fabric on opposite sides of said opening, a transverse reinforcing tape Spanning the closed end thereof, a fastener tape and a shield over the respective stringers and stitched thereto through said fabric, said reinforcing tape being secured to said shield and to the opposite Stringer by stitches which extend through the tape and through the shield and stringers respectively and not through the front face of the fabric itself, said shield being free from said reinforcing tape on one side of said opening.

5. a fabric having an opening closed by a pair of slide fastener stringers closed at one end and stitched to said fabric on opposite sides of said opening, a transverse reinforcing tape spanning the closed end thereof, a fastener tape and a shield over thev respective stringers and stitched thereto through said fabric, said reinforcing tape being secured on opposite sides of said opening by spaced zigzag stitches which extend through the reinforcing tape and through said fastener tape and shield but not through the front face of the fabric itself and being free at said opening So as not to interfere with the fastener slider.

6. A fabric having an opening closed by a pair of slide fastener stringers closed at one end and stitched to said fabric on opposite sides of said opening, a reinforcing tape stitched to one of said stringers with the free end of said tape extending transversely across said stringers ad- 3 jacent the closed end thereof, the free edge of the fabric on the side of said first Stringer being folded over to form a two-ply edge hem, said reinforcing tape and said first Stringer being stitched to the lowerl part of said hem by a zigzag stitch extending longitudinally and thence across said hem in a continuous unbroken line and being concealed by said hem from the outerface of the fabric, a shield stitched to the free end of said reinforcing tape on the side of the other of said stringers, said shield, said reinforcing tape and said other Stringer being stitched to the other of said edges by additional longitudinal rows of stitches extending through the various layers, said shield being free from said tape on the side of said rst'stringer whereby it may be readily folded back to expose the slide fastener.

7. A fabric having an opening closed by a pair of slide fastener stringers closed at one end and stitched to said fabric on opposite sides of said opening, a 'reinforcing tape stitched to one of said stringers with the free end of said tape extending transversely across said stringers adjacent the closed end thereof, the free edge of the fabric on the side of said rst Stringer being folded over to form a two-ply edge hem, said ireinforcing tape and said rstl Stringer being stitched to the lower part of Said hem by a zigzag-Stitch extending longitudinally and thence across said hem in a continuous unbroken line and being concealed by said hem from the outer face of the fabric, a shield Stitched to the free end of said reinforcingtape on the side of the other of Said stringers, said Shield, Said reinforcing tape and said other Stringer being stitched to the other of Said vedges by additional longitudinal rows of stitches extending through the various layers, Said Shield being free from said tape on the side of said rst Stringer whereby it may be readily folded back to expose the slide fastener, and a fastener tape secured over said nrst Stringer, said Shield having fastener elements cooperating with said fastener tape for securing the respective elements.

HILDEGARD WIPPERMAN. 

